Infectious Diseases

Prerequisite Knowledge and Skills:

General biology, biochemistry, and cell biology.

Course Goals and/or Objectives:

The goal of this course is to provide a broad overview of infectious pathogens that cause human disease, with a particular emphasis on viral and bacterial pathogens. Furthermore, the course is designed to enable students to gain a fundamental understanding of the principles and mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis.

Instructional Methods:

Lectures will be posted each Monday, Wednesday and Friday by 12:00 pm. Each lecture will be divided into 2 to 5 segments. Prior to lecture deadlines (typically Monday at 11:59 am for the prior weeks lectures), students will be expected to view the appropriate online segment, and then take a short, open-book quiz reviewing key objectives that were covered. Approximately 3 class periods will be devoted to current infectious disease “hot” topics and associated scientific papers. In these cases, it is expected that students read the appropriate papers and participate in online discussions as indicated for the specific lecture.

Course Schedule

1. Introduction and Pathogenesis Overview
2. Virology:
   • Virus Structure and Classification
   • Laboratory Virology and Viral Genetics
   • Picornaviruses, Calici- and Astroviruses
   • Toga- and Flaviviruses
   • Influenza virus
   • Discussion: Engineering Superviruses
   • Discussion: SARS and MERS coronaviruses
   • Mononegavirales, Reoviruses
   • Discussion: Ebola virus
   • Reverse-transcribing Viruses: Hepatitis B
   • HIV and Hep B, AIDS Pathogenesis
   • Papillomavirus, Polyomaviruses
   • Poxviruses, Herpesviruses
3. Bacteriology:
   • Bacterial structure, physiology, and genetics
   • Antibiotics and resistance
   • Bacterial pathogenesis
   • Enteric pathogens – toxin-mediated (Botulism, Staph food intoxication, V. cholerae, EHEC, C.
   • difficile)
   • Enteric pathogens – invasion (Salmonella and Shigella)
   • Discussion: ETEC
   • Upper respiratory tract Pathogens (S. pyogenes, Bordetella, C. diphtheriae)
   • Lower respiratory tract Pathogens (S. pneumoniae, Legionella, tuberculosis)
   • Skin and wound pathogens (Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, tetanus)
   • Bioterrorism and zoonotic pathogens (Anthrax, plague, Lyme disease)
   • Discussion: Comparative infections
   • Meningitis pathogens (Neisseria meningitis, Haemophilus, Listeria)
   • Sexually Transmitted Diseases (T. pallidum, N. gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia)
4. Mycology (Epidermophyton and Trichophyton, Histoplasma, Candida)
5. Parasitology (Giardia, malaria, T. cruzi, hookworms, tapeworms, schistosomes, bed bug)

Required Text

General course materials and required reading will be available on the Canvas course website, accessible using your Gatorlink username and password.

Required text for the bacteriology section is:

• Schaechter’s Mechanisms of Microbial Diseases. 5^th ed. (Lippincott William & Wilkins) NC Englebert, V Dirita, and TS Dermody.

Appropriate supplemental texts include:

• Bacterial Pathogenesis – A Molecular Approach. 2^nd ed. AA Salyers & DD Whitt. (ASM Press)
• Cellular Microbiology. 2^nd ed. P Cossart, P Boquet, S Normark, & R Rappuoli. (ASM Press)
• Fundamentals of Molecular Virology, 2^nd ed. NH Acheson. (John Wiley & Sons)

Library Access

Distance Education and UF Online Students enjoy the same library privileges as on-campus students.
To utilize the University of Florida Library System, click here!